Increasing consumption of rice bran and navy beans for colon cancer control and prevention: A randomized-control pilot investigation

Introduction: Emerging evidence supports that increased fiber intake from legumes and cereal grains reduces risk for developing certain chronic diseases. Navy beans and rice bran are specific food examples with evidence of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer fighting activity, and are consumed in low amounts in the United States. Our main objective was to pilot the feasibility of increasing fiber intake with navy beans or rice bran and to achieve intake amounts comparable to animal studies that demonstrated their chronic disease prevention properties. Methods: 14 healthy adults participated in a 4-week pilot, randomized-controlled, dietary intervention trial. Participants were blinded to their placebo-control, navy bean powder or rice bran group. Seven meals and six snacks were developed for each study arm and provided one-third of total dietary intake. Three-day dietary food logs were completed weekly to calculate total percent of navy bean or rice bran intake, along with macronutrient distribution and total calories. Results: The navy bean and rice bran groups showed an overall increase in dietary fiber intake compared to control, and the navy bean group had a substantial decrease in total caloric intake. Adding navy bean powder (35 g/day) or rice bran (30 g/day) into prepared foods resulted in 5-10% of total dietary consumption. Discussion: This pilot study revealed a decrease in total caloric intake and a noteworthy increase in dietary fiber via the addition of navy beans or rice bran. These foods warrant further evaluation and promotion in public health nutrition intervention programs for chronic disease prevention.